We oftentimes refer to Art Deco as a style prevalent in Miami as that's what we are used to seeing as defining that look. Miami, predominantly South Beach has a lot of buildings steeped in the Art Deco vernacular, but it's not to say that everything Art Deco resides in Miami, I must clarify. The origin of the aesthetic derived from the Wiener Werkstatte in Vienna and French Moderne Movement. Basically, in 1910 at the Bruxelles Exposition Universelle, the French were showing Art Nouveau interiors while the German designers were showing something completely new and different. The French, being floored by the positive response that the Germans were getting for their restraint, austerity and editing of interiors and art,they felt they needed to hang on to their title as being leaders of design in the world. Once they realized Art Nouveau was out and that they were being challenged by the Germans, they planned an international exhibition that would showcase their (the French) effort to modernize French interior design, and, architecture would soon follow. After the Paris exhibition in 1925, the term Art Deco Style was coined (though invented in Paris in 1910).
I see a resurgence of Art Deco inspired furnishings and finishes creeping into interiors quite soon. Art Deco jewelry such as brooches, rings, earrings and the like are highly coveted items next season and watch the look further inspire designers over the next few months. As with fashion, interiors ride the same wave simulataneously. Characteristics of Art Deco were influenced by the machine age, abstraction and the result of two wars. Art Deco design is a confluence of geometric shapes, whimsical patterns, rectilinear motifs, stair-stepped patterns, ocean liners, exotic and sumptuous materials, and creating an overall harmony of different styles in a decorative sense. We can use this influence and incorporate it into our own lives, literally or metaphorically based on what is happening in the world today. The wallcovering shown below are some historically accurate reproduction Art Deco prints from Adelphi Paper Hangings. I've chosen some alternate colorways to display as well as one you'd actually see during the Art Deco period. These would be great in an entry vestibule, powder room or even bolder yet, behind a headboard in a bedroom as an accent wall. -B.H.
L'Oiseau Moderne
French circa 1925-1930
Bird in flight and other flourishes, yellow/black/gold metallic - true historical colorway
French circa 1925-1930
Bird in flight and other flourishes, yellow/black/gold metallic - true historical colorway
SunflowersFrench circa 1930
Unknown designer
Sharp diagonal lines, flower motif, inspired by Cubism
StarfishFrench circa 1910-1920
Marine life designs were popular and mass produced motifs in Paris
Spiral Willow
French circa 1920
Designer: Rene Crevel
Organic, geometric, and whimsical designs interpret natural forms in this Art Deco rendition
Marine life designs were popular and mass produced motifs in Paris
Spiral WillowFrench circa 1920
Designer: Rene Crevel
Organic, geometric, and whimsical designs interpret natural forms in this Art Deco rendition
For more information on where to buy other reproduction wallcovering:
